Read more about our safety research at
volvocars.co.uk
Volvo safety technology.
Because people are only human.
Cars are driven by people. That’s why all our safety research and development continues to investigate the
capabilities, limitations and tendencies of human nature. This people-centric research is always based on real
situations, and with the vision to create cars that do not crash.
To help you avoid accidents while maintaining the fun of driving, Volvo safety technologies are designed to
support the driver in various situations without unnecessary interference. All these intelligent technologies
share information and interact with split-second precision. Today, a new Volvo can “read” actual situations
and provide optimal support and protection for example, by sensing normal driving patterns or panic situations
and by taking protective action before, during and after a collision. Still, technology can never take the
responsibility away from you, the driver. Final decisions are always in your hands. But if these technologies
help make you more alert and relaxed, they will also contribute to the overall safety of those in and around
your Volvo.
Volvo Accident Research Team
Since 1970, Volvo’s Accident Research Team has investigated accidents involving Volvo cars on Swedish
roads. Today, our own statistical database contains over 36,000 accidents with more than 60,000 occupants.
In addition to studies on the scene of the accident, our researchers also investigate what happened before
the crash to understand how to improve the driver’s conditions to avoid a collision. These findings give us
unique knowledge that guides us in creating technology that helps prevent or mitigate accidents and, if an
accident can’t be avoided, to help protect the occupants.
Volvo Cars Safety Centre
Based on the findings from our accident research, we can recreate a variety of real-life traffic situations
and crashes. Beyond numerous virtual crash tests in super-computers, we perform around 400 crash tests
each year. We crash test car-to-car at different speeds and from different angles. We perform frontal
impacts, rear impacts, side impacts and roll-over tests and test cars off-road as well as against genuine
Swedish granite rock-face, we can even simulate impacts with wild animals.
If you make it here, you make it anywhere
Other car manufacturers come to Sweden for final car testing under harsh and capricious conditions.
For us it’s home. Our own proving ground Hällered with its 34 miles of test tracks includes different road
types from all over the world. Here we scrutinise our cars’ ability to support their drivers in all imaginable
and unimaginable situations during thousands of test kilometres, not to mention the distances driven
on ordinary Swedish roads.
Towards a future where cars don’t crash
We already know what we want to achieve: no accidents. By applying a holistic approach which considers
the driver and the vehicle as well as the infrastructure, we can realise a future where cars interact with
other cars, the road and the traffic-control systems. For example, this includes cars that can brake and
steer automatically, if needed. This makes it possible to design cars in completely new ways to protect
and preserve life.
“Cars are driven by people. Therefore, the guiding
principle behind everything we make at Volvo is
– and must remain – safety.”
Assar Gabrielsson and Gustaf Larson, founders of Volvo
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